Skateboarding for NYC Kids: Parks, Classes, and Gear

Skateboarding! The action sport that is its own art form. For kids, it is exhilarating, fun and a mode of transportation. The sport has been given the spotlight by famous skateboarders like Tony Hawk and will even make its Olympic debut in 2020! Summer is when kids get to venture out and we’ve got all the deets on the best places to learn and to go skateboarding in NYC, including where you can buy all the gear your kids will need to stay safe while they flip and grind through the city. We have rounded up the best places to skateboard in NYC for your kids to skate their way to becoming the next Tony Hawk! And after you are done practicing your kickflip, cool down with a sweet treat from our favorite ice cream locations in NYC – sweet victory!

The Best Skate Parks by the Boroughs!

Manhattan

23rd St. at the Hudson River New York, NY 10011212-242-6427Strap on a helmet at all times. Hudson River Park’s Pier 62 Skatepark is FREE and is open to all skateboarders and rollerbladers. With a 15,000 sq. ft skatepark built on top of a pile-supported marine platform and uses structural foam to create the shapes and forms that are typically sculpted in the earth. This is a space for your kids to skate to their heart’s content! Click the link above and take note of the rules and regulations.

West St. and North Moore St. (on pier 25)212-242-6427Tribeca Skatepark is also FREE and open to all skateboarders! With an 8,840 square foot street-style skatepark. Take Tribeca by storm and skate the day at Pier 25! Click the link above and take note of the rules and regulations.

62 Monroe St &, Pike St, New York, NY 10002212-219-0258Open all year round from dawn till dusk. Owned and operated by NYC Parks. It is a large concrete park with a load of street obstacles including ledges, rails, banks. fun boxes and more to skate on.

E 10th St, New York, NY 10009311A popular park in the middle of the East Village is a perfect centerpiece for its eclectic neighborhood. It’s not even a real skate park, however, people skate there all the time. So your kids can take a stroll through the park on their board.

2401 Amsterdam Avenue Highbridge Park, 7349, New York, NY 10033311Touted as the “largest” skatepark in all the boroughs, this park is street-focused with fun brick banks throughout. Open daily and all year round, it was intentionally built on a downward slope to help skaters achieve maximum momentum.

Neighborhood: Washington Heights

Brooklyn

Cooper Park Sharon Street &, Olive St, Brooklyn, NY 11211212-639-9675Reportedly named after Peter Cooper, the American philanthropist, and inventor of a forerunner of Jell-O. It is one of the city’s newest skateparks lies out in East Williamsburg, where Brooklyn skateboarding is done right.

225 Nevins St, Brooklyn, NY 11217212-639-9675Open Road and California Skateparks built some ledges on Thomas Greene Park’s asphalt basketball courts. Providing spots to grind through the open space of the playground.

Gerritsen Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234311This modest skate park also features a general-use asphalt area and a children’s playground. Kids are required to have all the proper safety gear, plus a liability waiver signed by parents before skating.

Queens

Astral Fountain Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Corona, NY 11368718-760-6565This skate plaza was built for the Maloof Money Cup contest in 2010 and has remained a free city skatepark since. Constructed with variation in mind this park is a 16,000-sq.-ft. concrete public complex with multiple stairs, rails of varying lengths & banks.

The Bronx

River Avenue Parks, 100 E 157th St, The Bronx, NY 10451311Take to the Bronx and shred up the skate park at River Avenue. Designed closely with the skateboard community, this 10,000 square-foot concrete skate park features stairs, rails, ledges, benches, banks, gaps, and transitioned elements in a plaza setting. River Avenue is one of the City’s first skate parks to use traditional New York City Parks’ materials and references elements from the city’s past and present.

Staten Island

Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10302212-639-9675There’s around 3 major branches of the park including plenty of metal-edged ledges (straight & curved), handrails, stairs, euro-gaps, and some 3′ banks. A great place for Staten Islanders to practice kickflips!

354 Front St, Staten Island, NY 10304347-857-6007NYC’s only chill and indoor skateboarding area with an array of ramps. The custom-built 8,000 square foot recreation center is open year-round to all alternative sports. Not only can your kids come here to skate, but, at 5050 Skatepark your kids can expand their skills in a creative and safe environment with daily riding sessions. They learn from scratch or sharpen their skills at an affordable price!

Neighborhood: Stapelton

Around the City

Many of the parks listed so far come from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation or NYC Parks. For more places not listed here please check out the link above and for more information please call 311.

Neighborhood: The five boroughs

Skating Lessons Around the City

140 Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225718-484-9777With training sessions for adults, teenagers, and kids 2-12, there’s something for everyone whether you’re an experienced skater or just starting out—no experience necessary! Beginner level classes are provided to teach the basics of balance and how to push off. Advanced classes that teach people how to drop-in and transition Summer camp and afterschool options are also available!

151 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003917-538-4084SURE’s primary mission is to promote skateboarding as a viable and unique means of local transportation and for all age groups in the New York City Metro Area and the world. There are weekend drop-in sessions at NYC public parks and skate parks. With private or group lessons to choose from. Sure Skateboards teaches skateboarders of all ages the basics and safety.

Courses in Manhattan and Brooklyn646-529-2721Skateboarding School was founded by Luiz Louie. Louie has been a Professional Skateboarder sponsored by numerous companies for the past 20 years. He has been teaching children and adults how to skateboard for over 15 years. Louie has taught at renowned private schools, and sports camps across the tri-state area and Woodward Skate Camp. Louie’s provides both group and private individual classes for all ages and ability levels at skate parks throughout NYC. Equipment is also available for rent.

615 Degraw St, Brooklyn, NY 11217718-596-1511Homage offer 3 levels of training for your little ones. The instructors work by the idea that skateboarding is in fact, a learnable skill. Summer and after-school programs are also provided. Saturday and Sunday classes at varying prices for children as young as 3-6. Equipment is also available for rent.

Neighborhood: Gowanus

Skateboard Gear

Do your kids need gear and you don’t want to keep renting? Well, we got you covered with a few places you can go to buy what you need to keep your kids safe. In Manhattan’s West Village you have old reliable Uncle Funkys Boards. Also, located in Manhattan is a local skate shop, called Labor Skateboard Shop, which carries decks, trucks, wheels, accessories, apparel & footwear from many brands. Onto Brooklyn, we have a shop with the borough in its name Skate Brooklyn, and it’s steadily rising in popularity. Finally, we have a great Brooklyn spot, KCDC, offering an assortment of skateboards, shoes, and men’s and women’s apparel, plus lessons too. Dress for success works for skateboarding safety too!

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About the Author

Michael Davis was born in Brooklyn to his entirely Jamaican family. He is currently an undergraduate junior at Brooklyn College, double majoring in Political Science and Film, with a concentration in Screenwriting, and minoring in Psychology. His goal is to be a screenwriter, producer, novelist, and to continue being a political activist, potentially working as a political consultant or for a nonprofit organization. He loves video games, anime, books, comics, and manga because storytelling is a passion of his. Surmounting health issues to realize his dreams.